Read a full match report from the Europa League last-32 second leg between
Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur from Stade de Gerland on Thursday February 21,
2013.

Mousa Dembélé sent Tottenham Hotspur into the last 16 of the Europa League with a stunning last-minute goal in France.

Maxime Gonalons, the Lyon captain, looked to have delivered Lyon the 1-0 win they required to advance with his first-half goal.

Dembélé, however, delivered a ­blistering 25-yard strike past Remy Vercoutre in the 90th minute to set up a fascinating third-round tie against Inter Milan.

Gareth Bale’s brilliant added-time free-kick had earned Tottenham victory in the first leg, and here Dembélé delivered a decisive blow in the final minute, stepping away from Clement Grenier and firing across goalkeeper Rémy Vercoutre and into the far corner with a vicious left-footed strike.

Lyon, who had led for much of the game through Gonalons’s headed opener, were left completely deflated by the late reply.

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“If you look at the number of chances Lyon had over the two legs it would not have been fair if they had gone through,” Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said. “We didn’t play well in the first half, but in the second half we were the better team.”

Spurs, though, were a shade fortunate when German referee Wolfgang Stark waved away strong Lyon claims for a penalty in the second half after Brad Friedel appeared to bring down Alexandre Lacazette. “We were close to eliminating a top English side, so it is hard to swallow,” Lyon coach Rémi Garde said.

Lyon could have taken the lead in the 10th minute when Lacazette ­contrived to head weakly at Friedel from six yards.

However, Friedel, who was again preferred to former Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, had to pick the ball out of his net soon after, when Bale

was guilty of allowing Gonalons to head in Grenier’s free-kick from the left flank.

Lewis Holtby saw his low shot from just outside the box turned on to the post by Vercoutre.

And they threatened again shortly after the restart, as Bale fired inches wide from an Emmanuel Adebayor cross at the end of a rapid breakaway. The Welshman then saw one of his trademark dipping free-kicks boxed away by the Lyon goalkeeper from

30 yards and was also denied when he tried his luck with a speculative long-range strike.

In between, Adebayor saw an overhead effort – probably intended as a cross – strike the top of the bar.

While the visitors monopolised possession, they were lucky not to concede again just before the hour. Friedel had saved from the impressive Grenier before appearing to bring down Alexandre Lacazette inside the area after making a hash of a clearance.

Stark waved away the Lyon appeals, and they were left feeling hard done by as Dembélé stole the late, decisive goal for Spurs.